From the collection   Socialism Kills   by Theresa Marie Moreau

Victoriano Ramirez Lopez, renowned as ‘El Catore’ after he killed 14 Federal soldiers during a shoot out was a very flawed man, a thief, a drunk, and a womanizer.  He had many bastards, but somehow, he ended up on the right side of the Cristero War, when the Mexican Government persecuted Catholics.

An outlaw, the only reason he was recruited into the Regiment of Jalpa de Canovas, was because he was fearless and insanely brave.  El Catores fellow Christero, Lt. Teniente Eugilio Gonzalez later told this to his grandson, Bob Parr.

El Catore joined because he had no one.

He had nothing to lose.

No one liked him.

No one ever liked him, but he ended up fighting for a holy cause, a fight for the faithful.

Because the regiment relied heavily on El Catores outlaw skills for special missions, Lt. Gonzalez, an honourable man, often argued with his fellow Cristero, trying to convince him to put down the bottle, to sober up, and to stay away from women.

And, as far as his death, legend has it that someone on the Cristero side ordered a hit on El Catore, a complex man in a complex world.

And so it was.  His executionwas fulfilled on March 17, 1929.

The life of El Catore proves that each person has a part in God’s perfect plan no matter how imperfect the person.